Education How much does Amazon know?

Following reading https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/CLQYZENMBI/amazon-data I have made a data subject access request to Amazon myself. Could take up to a month...

 

Can't say i'm surprised.

They probably know more than I would like and I don't even have Alexa. Or any of the other friendly spybots for that matter.

 

I also have none of the friendly spybots and never will.

 

Buy one and sit it in the shed next to an audio book reader; Amazon will be chasing their tails trying to advertise Harry Potter merchandise to you while you browse the internet undisturbed.

 

I don't really feel the need to check: If I'm logged in and I'm using a service I assume that use is being stored, used and attached to my name. If I'm not okay with that i don't use the service. It's a trade-off, especially with "free" services, where it is clearly your data with which you are paying for them.

 

Assuming your use Amazon as a shop and don't use Alexa/Kindle/Fire tablets/etc: Probably as much as any given physical store you frequent regularly (payment via debit/credit card or using a loyalty card with cash payments), less than your bank, less than your card issuer (Visa/Mastercard/Amex), and less than the big three credit-scoring companies (who purchase and aggregate data from all the previously mentioned entities and tie it to your name and current/previous addresses).

 

We will see. When I get the files I'll come back to this thread.

 

"Bloody hell, they know where all my missing teaspoons are!"

 

..and odd socks

 

I was discussing this with my wife yesterday. If your concerned about this, do you also not have a nectar / boots / club card?

All of these use your data in similar ways and have been around for a very long time.

 

Like all those adds for hundreds of free photo prints. 'Free' presumably means at the cost of having your data sold to everybody and their cousin I guess.

 

Wonder if they know where my 10mm socket is :/

 

Come to think of it I wonder if they know where our massive wok is?

I know, how do you lose a wok?

 

It was the tracking of products you browsed instead of just bought that makes it very different to me even if you don't use alexa etc.

 

That's what I can't stand... so I looked up a product...? "If I could afford to buy it, I woulda done, but I know where I want to buy it from, so DO ONE!"

 

No one knows that. There are people with suspicions as to where their 10mm is, but no one can be sure it's where they think it is.

 

10mm sockets are tricky things, I went through a load of stuff in the garage and found four in the same draw, three normal one deep socket one. They had no reason to be in said draw an it was no where near the other sockets so my only conclusion is they are in fact sentiment and moved away from the other sockets to try and form a community.

 

Having read through all the new posts, I should point out that it's not so much I am worried how much Amazon know, as I'm curious about how much they retain.

 

That's easy - everything.

 

Yeah, and in a poorly secured S3 bucket.